


Of Stormy Nights and Big Frights

by Anonymous



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Age Play Caregiver Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Age Play Little Deceit | Janus Sanders, Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Astraphobia, Bittersweet Ending, Enemies to Friends, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hopeful Ending, I like breaking hearts, Non-Sexual Age Play, Nyctophobia, be warned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:22:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29907282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: "The hell are you going?"Janus paused."Home, Kingsley. I'm going home."Kingsley gestured at the TV, face a mixture of frustration and... something Janus couldn't place."Were you not listening to anything they just said? You can't leave!"Janus crossed his arms."Well, what do you want me to do? Sit in the hallway? I'm not sure if you'd noticed, but I don't live here."Kingsley's face grew entirely unreadable, much to Janus' irritation, and he pushed his door open further, after a few moments."Get inside."
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Deceit | Janus Sanders
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26
Collections: Anonymous





	Of Stormy Nights and Big Frights

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings:  
> \- mention of a house fire  
> \- angst
> 
> I think that's all. If not, let me know.

Janus sighed, knocking on the red door in front of him.  
  
"Coming!" Came the booming reply.  
  
God, Remus really owed him for this one.  
  
The door was thrown open and, though it opened inwards, Janus had to take a step back from the sheer enthusiasm of the action. The smile immediately fell from Kingsley's face.  
  
"Dolion."  
  
"Kingsley."  
  
Janus held out the box, and Kingsley's lip curled into a infuriatingly self-satisfied smirk.  
  
"I knew I was irresistible, but even you, Dolion? I must say, I'm surprised."  
  
"Don't flatter yourself, Kingsley," Janus scoffed. "It's from your brother."  
  
Kingsley opened the box, peering in and nodding to himself. When Janus leaned forward to peek inside, he pulled it away. Setting it behind him somewhere, he leaned against his door, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Would that be all?"  
  
Janus blinked, realised he was still standing in front of Kingsley's door like a moron. He cleared his throat, trying not to appear too awkward. He failed, if the crooked smirk on his rival's face was anything to go by.  
  
"Yes, that would be all."  
  
Just as he turned to leave, an aggressive battering sound reached his ears. Kingsley startled, swearing loudly. Janus would've laughed, were he not busy quelling his own, marginally more well hidden, panic.  
  
Kingsley walked back into his apartment, switching the TV on and flipping impatiently past several channels. Before Janus could ask him what on Earth he was doing, he paused, and a red weather warning flashed on screen. Janus focussed on the TV, trying his best to drown out the sound of rain pounding against glass.  
  
"It's storming."  
  
"What an astute observation, Kingsley," Janus drawled, inspecting his nails. "Got any more wisdom to share?"  
  
Kingsley snarled, pointing at the man speaking on screen. 

"Listen."  
  
Janus complied - not because Kingsley told him to, but out of his own free will, of course.  
  
"...would advise all citizens of Gainesville to not leave their homes until the storm calms down-"  
  
Ok, Janus didn't want to listen anymore. He turned sharply, ready to leave.  
  
"The hell are you going?"  
  
Janus paused.  
  
"Home, Kingsley. I'm going home."  
  
Kingsley gestured at the TV, face a mixture of frustration and... something Janus couldn't place.  
  
"Were you not listening to _anything_ they just said? You can't leave!"   
  
Janus crossed his arms.  
  
"Well, what do you want me to do? Sit in the hallway? I'm not sure if you'd noticed, but I don't _live_ here."   
  
Kingsley's face grew entirely unreadable, much to Janus' irritation, and he pushed his door open further, after a few moments.  
  
"Get inside."  
  
Janus' eyebrows ascended sharply.  
  
"No need to be a hero, Kingsley. I'm sure that was an exaggeration. It's perfectly safe for me to-"  
  
A tree chose that precise moment to fall over, landing with a resounding thump over the main exit, as they both watched, open mouthed.  
  
Janus absolutely did _not_ startle. And he didn't yelp, either.  
  
Kingsley snickered, and Janus wanted to slap the smug expression right off his face.  
  
"You were saying?"  
  
Janus huffed, shoving past him into his apartment. Kingsley shut the door, locking it. He turned, then brushed past to enter his kitchen, leaving Janus to stand in the middle of his living room.  
  
Not awkward at all.  
  
He re-emerged, holding a mug. His eyebrows ascended past his hairline, lips twitching, upon seeing Janus shuffling about in discomfort. He was enjoying this, Janus knew he was.  
  
"Do you plan to just stand there for the rest of the evening?"  
  
A sharp pang of panic stabbed through Janus' heart at that. Lightning flashed.  
  
The rest of the evening? How long would he be staying? When would the storm let up? Oh God, what if he had to stay _overnight_?  
  
Janus swallowed heavily, shaking his head to stave off the fuzziness that threatened to consume his thoughts. Not here. Not now.  
  
There was a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"You good, Dolion?"  
  
Kingsley was right in front of his face, all of a sudden, and Janus had to fight the urge to stumble back. He shrugged off the hand.  
  
"Don't patronize me."  
  
"I wasn't-" he sighed. "Look, just sit down, ok? You look like an idiot, standing in the middle of my living room like that."  
  
Before he could protest, Kingsley's hand was on his back, nudging him to sit on the couch. Janus jerked away from the touch, squeezing himself into the far corner. Kingsley took a sip from his... tea? Coffee? Vodka? Janus didn't know. He sat down on the other end of the couch, picking up the remote. Janus pressed himself further against the arm of the couch.  
  
"Ok, what is your problem?"  
  
"I could ask you the same thing," Janus retorted, struggling to keep his voice smooth as thunder rumbled ominously.  
  
God, he hated storms.  
  
"I'm the one who let you into my apartment!" Kingsley slammed his mug onto the coffee table, and the sharp sound hurt Janus' ears. He fought back a whimper.  
  
"God you're insufferable! How old _are_ you? I don't have _cooties_ or anything, you don't have to sit so far away!"  
  
"Well, maybe I'm just allergic to your huge ego!"  
  
Kingsley didn't dignify that with a response, turning his attention back to the TV. Janus did the same, surprised to find Sleeping Beauty playing. He tugged at the suffocating sleeves of his dress shirt, suddenly wishing he'd worn something more comfortable.  
  
_But more comfort means an easier slip_ , his mind taunted. _And Kingsley would see what a baby you actually are._  
  
Never mind. He was fine with his current choice of clothing.  
  
Growing bored of the movie, Janus pulled out his phone, relieved to find there was some battery life remaining. He opened messages, ready to text Ree-R- Remus.  
  
**To: Trash Man**  
  
Hi  
  
Janus watched the tiny Wheel of Death in the corner of the message as it was sending.  
  
**Delivery failed**  
  
_What?_ No no no no no-  
  
He tried sending another. Again, the same message flashed up. His eyes flicked up to the corner of his screen. No bars.  
  
"Lines are down," Kingsley hummed. He'd also taken his phone out at some point, looking surprisingly calm. "We won't have any signal for a while, apparently."  
  
Janus kicked his shoes off, curling up against the arm of the couch. He rested his cheek on the leather, but it felt wrong, nothing like the couch in his and Remus' apartment. Not old, not worn, but pristine, and much too rough for his taste. He picked up his phone, sending one last text to Remus, hoping it would go through.  
  
**Delivery failed**  
  
Janus dropped his phone into his lap, blinking back tears. Thunder boomed, and a whimper slipped past his lips involuntarily.  
  
"Woah, hey, what's going on?"  
  
Kingsley was looking at him weird, but he didn't care.  
  
He wanted to go home. He wanted Ree-Ree.  
  
Sniffling, he curled up tighter, ignoring Kingsley's worried calls. He dug his fingernails into his thighs, lump growing in his throat. He didn't like it here. It was too cold, and it smelled different, and he didn't know where the bathroom was- he didn't know where _anything_ was, actually.  
  
It was wrong, it was all wrong.  
  
But he was stuck here, with his enemy, until this stupid storm went away. Janus didn't think the situation could possibly get any worse.  
  
That was when the power went out.   
  
-  
  
Roman swore under his breath as the lights and the TV flickered off, plunging them into darkness.  
  
A high pitched whimper cut through the thick blackness, coming from somewhere beside him. Dolion.  
  
"Hey, hey, what's wrong?"  
  
Lightning flashed, illuminating the room for a split second. But it was long enough for Roman to see glistening tear tracks running down Dolion's face.  
  
"D-don' like it..."  
  
His voice had lost all it's grandeur and drama, reduced to nothing but a whimper. It was soft, too. Higher in pitch. Like a child's.  
  
"The storm?" Roman asked, like an idiot. Of course it was the storm, what else could it be?  
  
"'S too loud 'n' dark. All the monsters gonna ge' me!" Came the panicked reply, far closer than before.  
  
Monsters? Really? Surely Dolion was joking, right?  
  
Roman groped the couch for his phone, relieved when his fingers brushed against a cold, hard surface. Roman turned it on, squinting at the light from the screen. He switched on the torch, pointing it at the other end of the couch.   
  
Dolion was really a pitiful sight to behold. He'd knocked his hat off his head, and it was lying on the floor by his shoes. His hair was a mess - whether that was from running his hands through it, or just a wild case of hat hair, Roman wasn't sure. He was sniffling, rubbing his eyes like a tired toddler.  
  
"Wanna go home..."  
  
Roman wasn't sure how to respond to that, oddly vulnerable, admission. The Dolion he knew would never admit to anything like that, not to Roman, anyway.  
  
Not anymore.  
  
But what he quickly found himself realising was that this wasn't the Dolion he knew. Not at all.  
  
Roman shook himself, shoving away the warmth, the... _endearment_ he felt at the childish statement. He didn't like Dolion. Dolion didn't like him. That was how it always was, and that was how it had to be. This wasn't cliché fan fiction, they weren't suddenly going to fall in love.  
  
They needed light, and they needed it now. Roman wracked his brain for a solution, something, _anything_.  
  
He suddenly remembered a life hack he'd seen, on one of those pointless compilations that Patton liked to send him links to from time to time. He'd watched one out of boredom, and now he'd never been more happy about wasting time in his life. 

_Put a full water bottle on top of your phone's torch, and it should function as some sort of makeshift lantern._  
  
He had the torch, now he just needed the water bottle.  
  
"I'm gonna go to the kitchen for a second, ok?"  
  
Before he'd even finished his sentence, a hand darted out, grabbing his wrist. Roman inhaled sharply at the sudden contact.  
  
"Don' leave me please!"  
  
"Ok, ok," he soothed, only a little annoyed. "You can come with me."  
  
The hand wandered down his wrist as he stood, wrapping around his hand instead. He stiffened a moment, but reciprocated the gesture, purely because he was sure Dolion would cry if he didn't. Certainly not because he was worried, or anything like that.  
  
He tugged Dolion with him to the kitchen, periodically checking behind him, in case the idiot walked into anything. Opening a cupboard, he rummaged around for that clear water bottle he'd received from Logan for Christmas. He didn't think he would ever need to use it, but a lot of things were surprising him today.  
  
Eventually, he emerged successful from his hunt, holding up the water bottle triumphantly.  
  
"Aha!"  
  
There was a little giggle from behind him, and Roman turned around, shining the torch at Dolion.  
  
"What're _you_ laughing at?"  
  
The words were supposed to come out scornful, accusatory, but instead were soft and mildly teasing. He received another ~~adorable~~ giggle for that.  
  
"No-nofin'"  
  
Dolion pulled his hand away, and Roman pretended that he didn't miss the warmth. He used them to cover his face, stifling more giggles. The beginnings of a smile tugged at Roman's lips, and he stubbornly forced it down.  
  
No. No smiling. Not at Dolion.  
  
He turned back around, focussing on filling the water bottle with water. Dolion took his hand again, swinging it back and forth gently. He hummed a tune under his breath that sounded oddly reminiscent to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Roman absentmindedly added the lyrics to the melody as he led Dolion back to the couch.  
  
Placing his phone on the coffee table, Roman sat the water bottle on top of it. Instantly, the beam of light softened, casting a warm glow over the table. The light didn't reach very far, but, at this point, Roman was willing to take what he could get.  
  
Dolion sat down beside him on the couch, still a safe distance away, but closer than before. He didn't let go of Roman's hand.  
  
An awkward silence settled over the both of them as Dolion played with his fingers idly, looking up once in a while, as if he was waiting for Roman to say something.  
  
"I, uh-"  
  
An especially loud clap of thunder sounded, and Roman could've sworn the whole building shook with the force of the wind. Dolion jumped a solid three feet into the air, yelping. He met eyes with Roman, looking dazed.  
  
Then he burst into tears.  
  
"Hey, shh-shh, you're ok," the comforting words left Roman's mouth like second nature. "It's fine. It's fine."  
  
But the tears wouldn't let up. Dolion was crying so hard that Roman was sure he wasn't breathing. He grimaced as an idea crossed his mind. Was he really about to do this?  
  
Well, he really wanted Dolion to shut up, so...  
  
Roman opened his arms in reluctant invitation.  
  
"You, uh, want a hug?"  
  
Dolion all but threw himself into the embrace without a second's hesitation, and Roman wrapped an arm around his midriff, using the other one to cradle his head.  
  
_Just like old times_.  
  
Roman shoved the thought away as soon as it had occurred to him. No, it wasn't like old times. They were never going to get that back. It would never be the same. He just wished his brain would get the memo.  
  
Dolion was sobbing into his shoulder, sitting so close he was nearly in Roman's lap. Roman rubbed his back carefully, rocking back and forth.  
  
"It's ok, it's ok," he whispered. "It'll go away." 

Lightning flashed and, instinctively, Roman tucked Janus' head further into his shoulder. The hand rubbing his back came up to cover his exposed ear when thunder clapped again. Janus whimpered, and Roman held tighter, pulling him fully into his lap.  
  
"Shh-shh-shh, you're alright. Listen to me, ok? You're gonna be fine. You're in here with me, and I'll protect you from the storm."  
  
Janus clung tighter.  
  
"'M scared, Ro-Ro..." he mumbled, breath hitching at another clap of thunder.  
  
Roman's heart stopped at the nickname. The nickname that hadn't been used since...  
  
Since before.  
  
His protectiveness over the small ball of Janus in his lap increased tenfold, and he wrapped himself around him, trying to physically shield him from the storm.  
  
A thought occurred to him, as Janus tensed at yet another thunder clap. His mother used to sit with him, when he was younger, and count the seconds between lightning and thunder. Maybe...  
  
He uncovered Janus' ear, whispering softly.  
  
"Hey, you wanna try something?"  
  
Janus sniffed, lifting his teary face from the crook of Roman's neck. 

"Wha'?" He asked, hugging Roman's waist almost possessively.  
  
Roman shifted him slightly in his lap, to hushing Janus when he whined and clung tighter. He reminded Roman so much of a child that it was startling.  
  
"Hey, hey, I'm not going anywhere. I just need you to face this way." 

Janus let go reluctantly, and Roman swivelled him around in his lap, so that they could both see out the window opposite.  
  
"Ok, just watch outside. When lightning flashes, we'll start counting, and stop when you hear thunder. The longer we're counting, the further away the storm is."  
  
Janus craned his head to look back at Roman, eyes still glistening, but far brighter. Roman let himself smile, reaching out to wipe a stray tear from Janus' cheek. Tears gathered in his own eyes at the feeling of rough scar tissue under his palm, when Janus nuzzled his hand.  
  
Lightning flashed, as if on cue, and Roman couldn't be more grateful for the distraction. He began counting.  
  
"One... two... three- c'mon, c'mon!"  
  
Janus began counting with him.  
  
"Five... six..." they both counted in unison, staring up at the grey sky. "Sev-"  
  
Thunder boomed, and Janus jumped, hand shooting out to grab Roman's hoodie reflexively. Roman placed his hand over it, but didn't attempt to loosen the grip.  
  
"Hey, we got to seven! Let's see if we do any better next time."  
  
As they both continued their counting game, Roman becoming increasingly relieved as the gap between thunder and lightning grew larger gradually, Janus (when had he become Janus?) leaned back against Roman's chest, sighing softly.  
  
"Missed you, Ro-Ro."  
  
Roman's gut twisted in a way he didn't think was possible. A single tear fell down his cheek, and he didn't bother wiping it away. Hugging Janus tighter to his chest, he propped his head on his shoulder.  
  
"I missed you too, Jan."  
  
And, as he said the words, Roman realised just how true they were. He and Janus had been best friends, once upon a time. They were inseparable, did everything together, rode their bikes down the street, ding dong ditched the old lady next door to Roman's house, stargazed on the rooftop. And Roman had sat there, in that horrible hospital waiting room that fateful night, as doctors desperately tried to salvage what little of Janus' face hadn't been burned to a crisp in the house fire.  
  
Then, something changed.  
  
During high school, Roman had a huge power trip, refusing to hang out with Janus, because he wasn't 'cool enough'.   
  
_("Why did I ever think we'd last?"_  
  
_"R-Ro... what do you mean?"_  
  
_"You know exactly what I mean, two-face! People like us weren't meant to be friends."_

_"God, I thought you were a good person, Roman. I thought you liked me."_  
  
_"Yeah, well," Roman snarled. "I could never be friends with someone who has a name that makes them sound like a middle school librarian."_  
  
_Janus recoiled, looking so hurt that Roman almost rescinded his last statement._  
  
_Almost._

_Janus stood there, in the middle of the lunch hall, waiting. Waiting for him to apologise. But Roman's mouth stayed stubbornly shut._  
  
_He shook his head, when it became clear Roman wasn't going to say a word, lip curling in disgust._  
  
_"You used to be my hero, Roman.")_  
  
Those words remained ingrained in the back of his head, haunting Roman's very waking moment for the rest of his teenage years. He regretted what he'd said with all his being, after Remus walked into his room that night, literally slapping some sense into him. But he never apologised. Roman huffed out a humorless laugh, wiping the tears that had begun falling.  
  
He was no hero. He was a coward.  
  
He was pulled from his thoughts by a squeaky yawn. Roman almost laughed at how high pitched and adorable it was. Janus was rubbing his eyes, shifting in Roman's lap to curl up with his head against his chest, ear placed right over Roman's heart. Roman rested his chin atop Janus' head.  
  
"You tired?"  
  
Janus mumbled an incoherent response, pressing his cheek against Roman's chest.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes, then. Go to sleep, Janus."  
  
Within seconds, Janus' breaths evened out, and he fell asleep, one hand grasping the front of Roman's hoodie - a way to make sure he wouldn't leave. Roman was sure his heart had just shattered to pieces. Roman sighed, cupping Janus' left cheek, caressing the burn scar with his thumb.  
  
"I'll protect you." He whispered. 

_I'll be your hero again._

**Author's Note:**

> Quick note from the author:  
> Hi. I just wanted to say that I may not update as frequently for a bit (this won't be forever, just for the time being), just so that I can recharge my creative batteries a little. Upon reading some of my older works from a month or so ago, I realised my constant updates have resulted in a slight decline in quality. And I want to share good content that I think people will like. So, this isn't goodbye, but my updates will probably end up being weekly once at best. I hope that's alright.
> 
> Anyway, comments and kudos are always appreciated!! 
> 
> Take care! <3


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